


A Place in the World

by roxtrox7



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Backstory, Being a hero is hardwork, Destiny, Gen, Growing Up, Link's a good boy, Magical Musical Sword, Soul Bond, What-If, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-09
Updated: 2018-06-09
Packaged: 2019-05-20 05:12:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14888283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roxtrox7/pseuds/roxtrox7
Summary: Link was a child without a place, without a purpose.  He decided to change that.Or how in Hyrule can one kid wield all these weapons, cross all these different kinds of terrains, and be a survival champion?





	A Place in the World

Link grew up in Hyrule Castle. He was one of a handful of children who actually lived in the palace. It was very clear to him that he was small and unimportant in the world around him. Every adult had a job: his mother was the head of the Royal Guard, his father was the blacksmith in charge of outfitting the most important of the soldiers, his grandfather tended to the pure white royal horses, his aunts and uncles and cousins were warriors who defended the land. The King and Queen kept the peace and the Princess was learning how to rule. Even the children of the cooks and servants were expected to maintain the castle. Everyone had a purpose and a place it seemed, except for Link.

His mother told him “One day you will be the most important little boy in all of Hyrule but only if you train hard.”

His father told him “Learn how to wield a sword, a spear, and a bow and you will be able to protect those you care for.”

His grandfather told him “If you learn the language of horses you can go anywhere in the world.”

The head cook, one of his many cousins, told him “A boy who can’t cook has no place anywhere. Trust me, if you can feed yourself and those you care about good fortune will come your way.”

Link listened to the adults around him trying to find the secret of having a place in the world. He detested being useless and underfoot so he trained. He learned the drills that his Uncle taught to the new recruits. He learned all the etiquette for being at court from an Aunt who was a lady-in-waiting for the Queen. He learned geography and the different cultures of Hyrule from his grandmother who tutored the Princess. Link absorbed every skill and scrap of information he could in the hopes of finding where he belonged.

Then, the evening before his thirteenth birthday when he would finally be allowed to join the recruits, he heard a story. It was not a new story, every child in Hyrule knew the story of Calamity Ganon, the Hero who fought it, and the Princess who sealed it away. What made this time special though was the storyteller. It was a Sheikah who used smoke and sparks to add life to her puppets.

Link had never much cared for stories as a child. He did not read books unless they taught him a new skill. Children’s stories always seemed so… childish. But this telling with robots shaped like strange beasts and the hero dressed in green as he defended the Princess so she can cast her spell was riveting. The little Hylian figure wielding the Sword of Evil’s Bane was exactly what Link wanted to be when he grew up. He had finally found his place.

The next day he beat every recruit no matter how big they were and passed his exam with flying colors.

He trained harder than everyone else. His mother was thrilled with his renewed determination but his father was less than pleased by the speed with which he broke his weapons and shields. His great-uncle, the castle doctor, was also getting cross with the amount of injuries he was receiving but what were a few scrapes and bruises compared to Calamity Ganon?

When he was fifteen he was assigned to tour the various kingdoms of Hyrule. Normally new recruits would work at Forts closer to Central Hyrule but Link’s mother knew his potential was too great for such. Her boy was going to be directly responsible for the well being of the Royal Family just as she had been before she was Captain. Link had been studying the mannerisms and power structures of the other four kingdoms for years but nothing beat hands on experience.

His first stop was Gerudo Town. The burning, freezing desert was nothing like the soft green meadows of Central Hyrule. The special uniform he was given for this trip helped somewhat and at least had a scarf to cover his face during sandstorms. Still it was too hot during the day and too cold at night and he was not even allowed in town to meet the Chief. He knew men were not allowed in Gerudo Town but had hoped that since he was still a considered a child by Gerudo standards they might let him look around a little.

They were stationed in a small fort near the Bazaar. All the female soldiers were invited to stay in the barracks in town but that did not mean things were boring or quiet. Droves of Gerudo women descended upon them before they had even had a chance to discuss patrol rounds. Most of them were of marrying age but some younger girls came out as well. 

The older guards were thrilled. The women brought good food and the kind of flirting that always made Link uncomfortable. He escaped to the watch tower high over the festivities. He stared out into the desert that seemed to go on forever. Here and there could be seen ancient structures and smaller townships dotting the endless ocean of sand.

“Hello little voe.”

Link startled badly. He had not heard anyone come up the tall ladder. It was a Gerudo woman, tall and tan and strong just like the rest of them, but there was something mischievous in her smile. He nodded to her in greeting despite the apprehension in his stomach.

“You’re commander said she had brought a child with her but I never expected such a small one.”

Link could not help but bristle. He knew he was small for his age and he was the youngest person on this unit by several years but he was a good solider. He also knew he worked harder than anyone else.

The woman laughed like crackling thunder. “So serious. Come back when you’re a little older. I’m sure you’ll find yourself a good wife among the Gerudo.” She laughed again as the boy blushed furiously.

“Lady Urbosa?” Someone called from below them.

“Be sure to keep us safe, little voe.” She teased as she descended the ladder just as silently as she had climbed it.

He stayed in the Gerudo desert for a several months. The locals taught him how to make drinks and elixirs to handle the heat and the cold. He never did meet the chief but the Gerudo guards who would visit their fort taught him how to wield a scimitar and find his footing on the sand.

The next stop was just outside Rito Village. It was much more like home though the patrols sometimes went into the snowy mountains. This fort was certainly quieter than the one back in the desert that was always swarmed with women. Link was able to focus on his training without interruptions.

Once again he was unable to meet with the head of the Rito people but he was often invited to practice his archery with the warriors. Link was the best shot in his unit. His father had given him a bow before a sword. The Rito warriors had thought it was a joke at first when his commander offered him up for training. They all towered above him as much as the Gerudo women had. Link silenced their snickering with a series of trick shots given to young Rito hoping to receive the title of Warrior. 

Whenever he was not working or on patrol Link was practicing his archery. The feats of the Rito warriors were amazing. They could fly up high and shoot with deadly accuracy as they fell towards the ground only to open their wings at the last moment and do it all again. There was no way for Link to mimic their flight but he was taught how to use bows that shot multiple arrows at once. 

The Warriors would arrange archery competitions among them constantly and would often invite Link to join. Sometimes he would just have to do his best aiming for targets way out of reach for those without wings but on occasion someone would let him ride on their back so he could have a fair chance. They often had too much fun dropping him but he learned how to make those falling shots, it was not so different from shooting from horseback.

He won sometimes, and the Warriors would always ruffle his hair and ask when he was going to grow his own wings so they wouldn’t have to keep carrying him around.

The only person Link could never beat was Revali. He was a far better flyer than everyone else so even if Link could find someone to carrying him he never stood a chance. What irked him the most was Revali’s attitude. He would always say things like “Not bad for a Hylian” or “Maybe you’ll be as good as me in a hundred years.” It was the kind of superiority Link was used to back in Hyrule and even in his current unit. He was used to adults looking down on him or claiming he only had his position because of his mother but usually he could show them that he earned everything he had. But Revali was better than him and there was nothing he could do about it but practice.

He never beat Revali during those months but he grew stronger and could even out shoot his commander nine times out of ten.

The next stop was Goron City. It was unbearably hot though the locals assured him it was worse when Death Mountain was acting up. He drank cooling elixirs every day before going on patrol.

Link enjoyed Goron City a lot. The people were friendly and informal in a way that was completely foreign to the castle-raised boy. Everyone worked for the betterment of the city, even the Chief went down to the mines every day to dig for ore and edible rocks. He had read how there was no real hierarchy like in Central Hyrule but seeing is was still strange. 

Unlike the bejeweled scimitars of the Gerudo and the complex bows of the Rito the Gorons preferred giant bludgeoning weapons. They were easily twice Link’s size but that did not stop a blacksmith from handing it to him with a smile. The weight was enormous and everyone had a laugh at his expense when he could not even lift it off the ground. 

He became a sort of pet project for the Gorons after that. They made him meals with special herbs that were meant to increase strength and took him down to the mines on his time off. He learned all about rocks and ore and gems and grew stronger every day. The blacksmith crafted him smaller weapons made of castoff metal to practice with. 

The Gorons were excellent fighters despite their huge size. Their skin was tough and they could roll around even the roughest terrain with ease. Some of the kids tried to teach Link to roll but it was a failed effort. 

They invited the Hylians to battle practice but Link was the only one who showed up most times. Gorons did not understand the concept of holding back. The young Hylian would be bashed and bruised for days after a session but was learning how to dodge those heavy, slow blows better every time. He may not have been as strong but he was small and nimble and fast.

His favorite sparring partner was Daruk. The cheerful giant was the first to call him “Brother” and invite him to fight. He was an amazing fighter with a defense unlike anything Link had ever seen. As strong as he was he was equally as kind and boisterous. He always made time to play with the little Gorons and show Link new techniques while still doing his patrols and shifts down in the mine.  


Daruk fit. He had a place and a function and Link could not help but feel a little jealous. 

By the end of his stay Link could swing a Goron crusher but without any kind of finesse.

The last stop on his two year tour was Zora’s Domain. There was a major issue with visiting the Zora that Link had not expected. He knew that Zora’s went from small children to giant adults very quickly and were never teenagers like Hylians. He knew that young Zora had no responsibilities and were expected to stay out of the way of the adults around them. What he had not anticipated was the Zora deeming him a child.

Link was not allowed to go on joint patrols or combat practice with their hosts. If any Zora saw him seriously training they would encourage him to go play instead. If monsters ever showed up he was pushed out of harm’s way by well-meaning fins. His unit and his commander thought it was hysterical to see their littlest soldier being coddled but Link was far from amused. He was seventeen now, an adult by Hylian standards, he was tired of being treated like a child.

With no work and no training he was at his wits end. Then he met Mipha and her little brother Sidon. The Zora guards had shooed him off from another patrol route so Link was tending to his weapons which were going to rust with how little use they were getting.

“Would you like to play with us, Hylian?” The young Zora asked. Her voice was shy but she held her head up and offered a small smile.

He wanted to decline but he recognized the royal crest on the delicate metalwork of her headpiece. Zora’s were perhaps the most like Hylians in terms of hierarchy. To reject Princess Mipha would be like rejecting Princess Zelda. It was not his place. The children took him underneath the Domain where the water was deep but there were plenty of small flat stones to stand on. 

“Let’s race!” Prince Sidon said with all the enthusiasm of a child. Before Link could react the little prince pushed him hard into the water. His clothing had been treated with oil to repel water but was not made to be fully submerged. Link had to swim with all his strength to drag him and his waterlogged uniform to safety.

“You have to be careful, Sidon. Hylians are weak swimmers.” Mipha chided her little brother who looked sheepish but was clearly hiding his chuckles behind his hand. 

It was bad enough that the adults all thought he was useless but now the children did too. Link was not going to let that stand. He stripped out of his top and boots, set his weapons and shield aside, and dove back in. True his uniform trousers were not the best for swimming but he could manage just fine. Sidon squeaked in delight and swam after him. The little prince was faster of course but Link did his best to not get left behind.

Link went swimming with the other children almost every day after that. It turned out that their play was its own sort of training. He learned how to swim faster and more efficiently, especially after procuring a swimsuit. They taught him how to catch fish with his bare hands and dive without making a splash. 

The Zora children also played games involving sticks sharpened like spears. Mipha was far and beyond the best at mock combat. Link could hold his own on land but the moment he was knocked into the water he became defenseless. The Zora children all had tough scales protecting them so Link was usually the only one left bloodied and bruised after these games. Mipha was quick to patch him up with her healing magic.

It was fun. Link never spent much time with other kids and he certainly never wasted time playing when he could be training. He had never had friends before but now had a handful of nicknames and had made promises to come back soon to visit.

When he returned to Hyrule Castle everything was in chaos. He had heard about the guardian robots being dug up all over Hyrule, it was impossible not to, but the relative peace of the foreign kingdoms was in sharp contrast with his home. The Sheikah were everywhere trying to manipulate the six-legged machines all over the castle grounds.

He finally found his mother in a watchtower overlooking the moat. She looked old, like she had aged a year every day he had been gone. She embraced him tightly once she caught sight of him and whispered into his hair “I’m so proud of you.” His mother was not demonstrative unless it came to fighting. The sense of wrongness he had felt the moment the castle had come into view became that much sharper.

His mother escorted him to the throne room, a place he never dared to venture as a child. King Rhoam was an imposing figure upon his throne. Princess Zelda was seated next to him looking proud and regal and sad. There were a few other soliders kneeling before the king, all men and women who had gone on the two-year trip with him. He took his place at the end of the line and did his best to breath.

“You have been chosen by your commander as candidates to receive the Sword of Evil’s Bane and defend your home from the plight of Calamity Ganon’s return. The Champions from the other peoples will be decided first. You have three months to prove yourselves worthy of protecting this kingdom and all the people within it.”

The two-year trip had been a test. All the most promising recruits and active soldiers had been sent away to grow stronger and build ties with the other peoples of Hyrule. His commander had been evaluating everything he did while also making lists of potential Champions in each kingdom they had stayed. The children’s story that had inspired Link all those years ago was about to come true.

The next three months were intense. He spent every second training, perfecting the different fighting styles he had learned over the last couple years. He brushed up on his court etiquette and learned as much as he could about the ancient prophecy turned children’s story.

One by one the Champions were selected and came to the castle. First was Revali though he seemed less than pleased to be given the honored position of piloting a Divine Beast. Next came Daruk who was thrilled to see all his Hylian brothers again. After that Lady Urbosa came, she took an instant liking to the Princess and spent most of her time with the girl. The last and most surprising was Mipha. She had hit her growth shortly after Link’s departure and was now considered an adult. 

Then the day finally came. The Sword of Evil’s Bane was sitting upon a blue velvet pillow in a lovely, gilded sheath. The King and Princess were seated upon their thrones as one by one the candidates for the Hyrule Champion came forward. Each soldier took the blade in hand but when it was unsheathed the light that repels the darkness refused to shine. 

The four others went first, leaving Link for last. His heart pounded desperately in his chest as he reached out. The room was full of despair and regret but he forced it from his mind. The sword had to shine for him, there was no other choice. 

He pulled the hilt and a glow bright as the sun filled the room. The power of the light took his breath away but the energy of the sword nearly sent him to his knees. It felt like him. There was no other way to describe it. The Sword of Evil’s Bane was Link. The stories had said that the sword and the Hero were two halves of the same soul but Link had always thought that bit was flowery language, all stories with magic swords went that way. But no, it was real.

The King congratulated him, as did the Princess, the other Champions, and his mother but Link could not hear them over the rushing song of his own heart made whole.

He was assigned as Princess Zelda’s personal bodyguard from that moment forward. It had been his goal to have this place in the world but with the Sword singing in his blood and the Princess inexplicably furious with him, Link was less certain than he had been in a long time.

Daruk demanded a formal knighting before the Champions returned to their homes to learn how to control their Divine Beasts. The King and court were far too busy for such an affair so the six of them went out and did it themselves. It was an abysmal affair. The Princess, Zelda, was still angry with him though he did not know why. The other Champions looked on and made comments under their breath. Link knelt, still and silent, and wondered how he was supposed to defend the Princess and save the kingdom so soon.

Link’s days were filled with hunting down Zelda after that. She slipped away from him constantly. He could recall his grandmother telling him that the Princess was excellent at sneaking away from her guard but he had never given it much thought before. He caught her more than once climbing out of windows and crawling through hedges. All he could do was track her down time and again. The Sword helped, it seemed to sing loudest when it was near her as if it was happiest being where it could protect her.

One day she yelled at him. He had grown used to her barbed comments and cold looks quickly enough. It was not as if he knew her well enough to expect any different. That day though she had gotten so far from him that the Sword’s song in his blood was almost physically painful with its urgency. She was fine in the end, safe and going on about some experiment or data she wanted to process, but the moment she saw him she exploded and ran off.

Zelda rejected his place in the world and it hurt. After all that hard work and determination she refused him. The Sword song rang but he did not need it to reaffirm himself. Link had never given up on anything and he was certainly not giving up on his place.

He saved her from a Yiga assassin but barely. The screaming of the sword song was deafening but he managed to repel the man without letting the Princess come to harm. She actually thanked him once the coast was clear.

Things were better after that. He would stand guard at the door of her lab while she tinkered with the Sheikah Slate and tried out new potting soil for her Silent Princess. While she used to send him pointed looks or outright tell him to leave now she began to ask him questions: what did he like to do, what was his favorite food, did he always know he was destined to be the Champion of Hyrule, why didn’t he speak. Link became a subject of study but it was better, they were almost friends.

He learned that she was passionate and easily excited. She was tenacious and never gave up even though she was so hard on herself for not having gained the sealing magic she needed. She had a quick temper but never hesitated to apologize and right a wrong. Link knew with his own heart as much as by the Sword’s song that she was the Princess of the prophecy and was glad to be by her side.

They did everything together. They visited the other Champions to check on their progress. They kept close tabs on the restoration of the Guardians. They travelled all over Central Hyrule making plan after plan to ensure that they would not fail.

As quickly as everything was moving Link still believed that they had time. Zelda had her place but not her power but there was still time. Part of him even believed that Zelda would be Queen before they were needed, or perhaps they would not be needed at all.

On Zelda’s seventeenth birthday, the day she became an adult, she climbed the peak to the Spring of Wisdom and came back with nothing. The Champions had gathered in the hopes of encouraging her but it ended up being a curse. Calamity Ganon appeared with the six of them away from their stations.

Link and Zelda rode their horses hard to get back to the castle only to find destruction at every turn. The Guardians that she had so lovingly studied had become corrupted. The castle and all of Castle Town were decimated before they could get close. His family was gone before he had had a chance to protect them.

They persisted even when the light from the Divine Beasts never shone to assist them. Zelda tried to use a magic she did not know and Link fought with everything he had but in the end it was useless. They were completely overwhelmed.

As the Sword song seeped out with his life blood Link stood firm, determined to at least save one person he cared for. But that childish Princess who had become his friend saved him instead. The light of her magic was just like that of the Sword of Evil’s Bane when he had first held it. He wondered if it sang for her.

He did not remember collapsing but Zelda was hovering over him and shouting something he could not hear through the dying melancholy of his Sword song. He did hear her voice go strong and sharp like how she sounded when she stood up to her father. He closed his eyes and knew that Zelda was going to be alright.

One hundred years pass and a boy wakes up in a strange world with the sound of a name, his name, ringing in his ears. He can fight even if he is not sure how he learned and he can calm horses though he has never met one before. He knows how to scavenge and cook and survive. This boy has no place in the world but there is a Princess calling out for help and it makes his blood sing.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this last year while about half way through BOTW. Link is such an interesting character in that game. It's a shame they made him extra expressionless because he had to have been feeling so serious emotions. After everything we only know his memories as they relate to Zelda but this boy had a family and a life that he will never get back. I'm a sucker for that sappy nonsense so I wrote a little piece speculating his life before and how he ended up as The Hero of Hyrule. It was fun working in all the different skills Link possessed like sharp shooting in mid-air and mining gems.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
